Exercise & Fitness Tips : What Muscles Do Push-Ups Build?

So, just what muscles do pushups build? Well, pushups build muscles in your chest, your shoulders, and through your arms. They are really great whole body, upper body exercise. It’s important while you’re doing pushups, just 2 different kinds. So what’s important about them is you decide which kind you’re doing.

If you have a closer grip, so your hands are shoulder-width or narrower… you’re probably going to have a triceps focus. Your triceps are your muscles at the back of your arms. So triceps pushup, I keep my elbows close into my sides and I go for the range like that. If I’m doing the pushup that’s more focused on my chest, my grip would be shoulder width or wider apart. And my elbows just go out to the side a little bit more. And the emphasis on that exercise is a little bit more on my chest and in my triceps. Something to consider with pushups. Have you ever seen someone who does a lot of pushups? They might just have posture that looks like this and you don’t want that. So number one, just do pushups a few times a week and number two, stretch out your chest muscles as well as make sure you’re strengthening your upper back muscles.

Another help to really balance out any tightening up that you’re going to get to your chest and your shoulders as a result of doing a lot of pushups. For more information on training and pushups generally, you can reach me at brilliantathlete.com.